Medical Groups & Practices CAHPS®
Clinician & Group Surveys (CG-CAHPS)
Professional Research Consultants, Inc. as been fully NCQA certified as a CAHPS Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Survey Vendor.
NCQA ensures standardization of data collection so that results from consumer experiences are comparable across practices. To be an NCQA Certified CAHPS PCMH Survey Vendor, an organization must demonstrate that it has the capabilities, experience, and expert personnel to accurately administer the survey.
Developed jointly by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), NCQA and the Commonwealth Fund, the Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is the most comprehensive tool available for assessing consumers’ experiences with their clinicians’ practices.
About CG-CAHPS
PRC has been administering the CG-CAHPS survey for clients since its initial release in 2007, and we have continued to field various versions of the instrument since that time, as medical groups have become interested in the different versions available from AHRQ. Some have been measuring patient perceptions for years and have supplemented their existing data with this survey; for others, the CG-CAHPS instrument has been their first effort with measurement. Regardless of where you are starting from, PRC will assist you with selecting the version that will best meet your needs.
CMS has not yet developed a program to sponsor this survey, meaning, survey administration is not yet required. We do expect this will occur at a national level in 2013 or 2014. In the meantime, some states have begun public reporting initiatives that utilize a version of the CG-CAHPS survey, and some medical boards are beginning to accept data from this survey as part of their Maintenance of Certification requirements. If you have a need or desire to submit your data to another organization, PRC is happy to assist you with this and will help to ensure that all applicable survey administration guidelines are being followed.
Versions of the Survey Instrument
- 12-Month Survey (Adult and Child)
- Expanded 12-Month Survey with Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Items (Adult and Child)
- Use by NCQA for its optional Distinction in Patient Experience Reporting
- PRC anticipates being certified by NCQA for this program in 2012
- Visit-specific Survey (Adult; Child version in development)
- Adult Primary Care 1.0 (with a 6-point response scale)
- Supplemental questions are available
Methodology and Timing of Survey Administration
- Telephone or internet (e-mail invitation to participate)
- Interviews may be collected ongoing, with a weekly data transmission to PRC, or point-in-time, with data transmissions to PRC once or twice a year.
Online Resources
CAHPS ® – https://www.cahps.ahrq.gov/Surveys-Guidance/CG.aspx
CAHPS ® – https://www.cahps.ahrq.gov/Surveys-Guidance/Item-Sets/PCMH.aspx
NCQA’s Distinction in Patient Experience Reporting Program – http://www.ncqa.org/tabid/1429/Default.aspx